Biographical Sketch of John Q. A. Ledbetter - Hardin County, Illinois
From: The Biographical Review of Johnson, Massac, Pope and
Hardin Counties, Illinois
Chicago Biographical Publishing Company 1893
Transcribed and submitted by Ginger Hayes
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives
Copyright 1999 Wanda Reed
JOHN Q. A. LEDBETTER is a son of James A. Ledbetter, a native of Christian County,
Ky., and now makes his home in Elizabethtown,Hardin County James A. Ledbetter was
born in 1827, and though he had but little education in school, yet he was a man of
accurate observation,and by contact with the world has ac-quired a good practical
education. He was brought up on a farm, and also learned the carpenter trade. He
removed to Hardin County in 1843, where he followed farming and carpentering until
1847, when he removed to Desha County, Ark. Remaining there until the spring of
1850, he returned to Illinois and bought forty acres of land in Hardin County, to
which he devoted his time, cultivating and improving it until 1856, when he removed
to Elizabethtown, Ill., and followed his trade as carpenter. He now lives at Cave in
Rock, ten miles from Elizabethtown, with his wife, to whom he was married in 1845
and who bore the maiden name of Mary Scoggins. She was a native of Hardin County,
and became the mother of eight children, five of whom still survive, and who are in
comfortable circumstances.
John Q. A. Ledbetter, the subject of this sketch, was born December 23, 1849, in
Desha County, Ark., where his early days were spent on the farm, but in 1856 he
engaged with his father on a trading boat, plying up and down the Ohio and
Mississippi Rivers. His early education was obtained in the country schools, but he
afterward attended school two years at Evansville, Ind., and graduatecl from the
public school of that place, after which he began the study of law in 1871. He was
admitted to the Bar in 1872 and ever since he has successfully followed the practice
of the profession. He was elected County Judge in 1873, and served in that capacity
four years, givin- the best of satisfaction to his constituents. In 1880 he was
elected State's Attorney and served in that office eight years, and also held the
office of Master in Chancery at one time. Bv close attention to his duties he has
accumulated quite a snug little fortune, and is one of the wealthiest citizens of
the county. He was first married August 8, 1875, to Artimissa Steele, who died on
the 9th of August, 1882, leaving two children, Gracie and Oakly A. His second
marriage, which occurred on the 5th of February, 1884, united him with Miss G.
Ledbetter, of Kentucky', by whom he has two children, Wily A. and Dossett E.
Politically Mr. Ledbetter is a Democrat, taking an active part in the conduct of the
campaigns of the party. He is a Mason and belongs to Lodge No. 276, at
Elizabethtown and is also a member of Empire Lodge No. 54, I. 0. 0. F., as well as a
member of the Masonic Chapter at Metropolis. While he is not a member of any
church, he is an earnest worker in the interest of the Christian denomination, to
which he contributes liberally.
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
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